Automatic shear releasing mechanism for fabric shearing machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Him... I

im 0 4 x M W J MV I x Q A. ANDREOTTO Filed Nov. 2 1}1942 y a 9Q I W I F Feb. 22, 1944.

AUTOMATIC SHEAR RELEASING MECHANISM FOR FABRIC SHEARING MACHINES 'HHHIHII.

If INVENTOR.

- AT'mP/m'v Feb. 22, 1944. ANDREQTTO I 2,342,508

' AUTOMATIC SHEAR RELEASING MECHANISM FOR FABRIC SHEARING MACHINES Filed Nov. 21, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 5,

A E INVENTOR.

ATToRNEY.

Patented Feb. 22, 1944 AUTOMATIC SHEAR RELEASING- MECHA- NISM FOR FABRIC" SHEA'B'ING MACHINES Angelo Andreotto, Glifton, N. J., assignor to Botany Worsted Mills, Passaic, N. J,, a corporation of New Jersey.

Application N v m 21, 194-2.. SerialNotestis 5 Claims In the finishing of-woolen fabric it is customary to sew a plurality of fabric, pieces into a long continuous length preliminary to the action of a shearing device for removing the face nap of the fabric in order that the texture may be properly brought out. Thus contiguous pieces of fabric are joined at their ends by seams at either overlapped or abutted edges, the latter seam requiring, of course, an edge overlaid stitching. In either case this seam ust be protected from the action of the rotary sh ar, and hence it has been customary to employ 'a' hand-operated device for relatively moving the fabric and shear as the seam approaches the shear. The result is that at the ends of each fabric piece there remains a considerable unsheared section. It is the object of the present invention to greatly reduce this unsheared area at the joining ends of the fabric pieces by means. very rapid and wholly automatic in its action.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is fragmentary view, in elevation, showing the forward portion of a shearing machine,

said portion having been stripped of mechanism, except that directly related to the elements forming the subject of the invention, certain elements being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view, in elevation, partly in section, showing the fluid pressure actuator and the solenoid-operated valve for the pressure line.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1. s

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on the line, 44, Fi ure 3, illust atin t e p s tion of the circuit closing device incircuit open position.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation extending transversely throu h the device of Figure 51, the section being taken on the line 5-5', of that. figure.

It will be understood that for purposes or clarity of illustration the. r quisit lcmentsh v n shown in simplified'form, andthat their no l and general arrangement, as well as relative s zes, may be substantially chan d Wh n e desired. Inthe drawings the various elements are Slipported by aframe consisting of suitable standards I and horizontal frame members 2. The shearing roll is shown at 3.

The shearing roll carries suitable spirally a1.- ranged shear blades Sr, and, in the present embodiment, the roll at its ends is provided with shafts 4, 4:13, which are received in the bearing bosses. 5., 5m at the outer ends of lever arms 6, 681;. These lever arms extend downwardly and carry at their lower ends apertured sleeves; fixed upon a rock shaft 1 extending transversely f h frameand suitably JQurnalled. in bearingbosses carried by th latte as indicated at 8. v

Carried by shaft 1 are depending crank arms 9, each of which at, its lowerend is pivoted to a link in which, int-urn, is pivoted to a short upwardlyextending crankarm I] fixed to a rock shaft It. Rock shaft: i2 is journalled in the bearing bosses of two brackets I13 each carried by one of the standards, I. One of the two brackets isillustrated in Figure 1.

lit-tone end of shaft. l2 the-re is fixed thereto a, hand, lever M which. at its outer end is formed with a threaded apertureto receive a vertical adjusting screw l5 provided. with a lock nut l6. It will be seen thatv the: operator by grasping the handle of lever l4 and moving the latter down ward-1y will effect the movement of the shear holding lever arm 6,, in the direction of the ar- 'row, Figure 1, the shear thus being; raise In practice, the shear need not be raised to the extent that the drive gears therefor will be brought, out of mesh, the distance required being buta very small fraction of an inch, thereby clearing the scam- Means. are provided for power operating lever 14 and for automatically throwing the power device into and out, of operation, and this means i lt ow be c i ed- Mounted forwardly of the shear is a switch closing device. I This device, includes a feeler .or shoe, which rides upo th fab i h ho mar be arranged to extend transversely of the fabric piece or longitudinally thereof. For convenience of illustration, shoe is shown in the drawings as. arranged longitudinally of the fabric, being shown at H. The shoe is fixed to a yoke l8 ply-.- otally held by pivot. pointmembers [9 in an adius le ram 2 wh ch. in. tu n, i pivota ly carried by means of pivot point 2|, in a fixed yoke frame 22. Frame 22 is carried by a rod arm 23 which in turn, may be carried by a bracke 24 on the frame. 7'

The feeler or shoe IT has at its top: a, contact lQint 25 adapted to make contact with a contact screw 26. threaded in a member of the pivoted and adjustable frame 20. Electric current is led to the said frame 20, via positive wire 21!, Figure 3 and a return wire,28, is connected to the pivoted fr me vI 8. wh ch carri s contact point 1 thus ens ablin the c o ing f a i cuit leading to a solenoid valve actuator later to be described.

The fixed frame 22 carries a rigid arm 29 having a threaded aperture at its end to receive an adjusting screw 36, which screw at its lower end is rotatably connected to the adjustable frame 22!. Inasmuch as the shoe I1 is freely pivoted the adjustment in the height of frame 20 effected by means of screw 30 will exactly determine the distance between the contacts 25 and 2| for any given thickness of fabric and that distance will always be slightly less than the increased thickness given by the seam, so that when the seam passes under the shoe II, as indicated in Figure 5, contact point 25 will meet adjustable contact screw 2|, which, of itself, provides fine adjustment.

When the circuit closer closes the circuit, a solenoid valve actuator, generally indicated at 3|, Figure 1, is thrown into action. Prior to such action the parts will be in the position shown in Figure l. A fluid pressure line 332 communicates with the interior of valve casing 33 but is closed because valve head 34 depending from solenoid core 3 ix is in lowermost position. When the circuit is closed the movement of core 31m upwardly raises valve head 34 to the position of Figure 2 and a clear passageway is provided through valve casing 33 to a fluid pressure pipe 323: communieating with the interior of cylinder 35. Within the cylinder is a piston 36 carrying an upwardly extending piston rod 31 which passes through a packing gland at the top of the cylinder and contacts with adjusting screw I 5.

For retraction of the piston, any suitable means may be employed, that illustrated in the drawings being a retraction spring 38. The piston has a quick but short rise because the energization of the solenoid is but momentary and the valve head 34 is almost instantly returned to initial position. In its return to initial position the valve head not only closes fluid pressure pipe 32 but opens the interior of the cylinder below the piston to the atmosphere via air discharge ports a and b in the valve casing, so that the spring 38, or merely the gravitational effect of the shear in its return will restore the piston to the position of Figure 1.

In the drawings a cloth piece is indicated at C and a seam at S, Figure 5. Any suitable drive for the shear may be provided, that indicated in the drawings being a belt 39 leading to a pulley 40 carried by a shaft 4! underlying the shear shaft 4, such shaft 4| carrying a gear 42 in mesh with a gear 43 carried by shaft 4.

It will be noted that in the embodiment illustrated in the drawings at Figure 1 the hand lever I4 is formed with an extension which directly receives the adjusting screw l5, and that an alternative construction is indicated in Figure 3 wherein an arm 44 carried by shaft l2 serves the same function as the hand lever extension of Figure 1. In such latter case the solenoid and power actuator may be disposed centrally of the machine instead of at the side.

Various modifications may be made in the form and arrangement of the elements illustrated in the drawings without departing from the spirit of'the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A fabric-shearing machine comprising a rtary shear, a pivotal mounting for said shear, a lever and link connection applied to said pivotal mounting, a piston device for actuating said lever and link connection through fluid pressure, a source of fluid pressure connected to the piston device, a solenoid valve controlling the admission of fluid to the piston device, an electric circuit including said solenoid valve, said circuit normally being open, and a circuit-closing device including two contact members, one carrying a shoe adapted to ride upon a length of fabric in its passage to the rotary shear, and means for adjusting the distance between the two contact members.

2. A fabric-shearing machine constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which the circuitclosing device comprises a carrier adapted for rigid mounting, a frame pivotally supported by said carrier, means for manually adjusting the position of the pivotal frame relatively to the carrier, a contact member carried by the pivotal frame, and a supplemental frame pivoted to the first-named frame and carrying a shoe adapted to ride upon the fabric in its passage to the rotary shear andalso carrying a contact for engagement with the first-named contact when the shoe rides over a seam.

3. In a fabric-shearing machine constructed in accordance with claim 1, a circuit-closing device comprising a yoke member having pivot pins on its yoke arms, a frame held for swinging movement on said pivot pins, an adjusting screw carried by the frame and engaging the yoke member whereby the frame may be raised and lowered, a supplemental frame pivotally carried by the firstnamed frame and having a shoe adapted to ride upon a lengt hof fabric in its passage to the shear, coacting contact members being carried by the first and second frames, and means for relatively adjusting said contact members.

4. A fabric-shearing machine constructed in accordance with claim 1, in which the pivotal mounting for the rotary shear comprises a pair of swinging arms carried upon a fixed support,

a link connection leading to said arms, a handoperated lever for actuating said link connection, and means intermediate said hand-operated lever and the piston device for adjusting the effective action of the piston device upon the lever.

5. In a fabric shearing machine and in combination with a power-driven rotary shear member and means for feeding a length of fabric composed of a plurality of fabric pieces joined by seaming, of a mounting for the shearing member movable to carry said member bodily away from the fabric, means for imparting a quick movement to said mounting and including an electrical device and a normally open circuit in which said device is disposed, and a circuit-closing member in said circuit and including a device adapted to ride upon a length of fabric in its movement toward the shearing member and adapted to close the circuit by engagement with the seams and the means for imparting movement thereto comprising opposed arms pivoted intermediate their lengths to a fixed support, a rock shaft, arms rigidly carried by the rock shaft, links connecting the rock shaft arms with the mounting arms, a manually operable lever for actuating said rock shaft, a piston device engaging said manually operable lever, means for leading fluid under pressure to said piston device, and a solenoid actuated valve for controlling the flow of said fluid, said solenoid actuated valve being in the normally open circuit.

ANGELO ANDREOTTO. 

